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I had a not so pleasant interaction today. A local grocery store here in NJ recently installed 2 HPWCs. They're around the side of the store and the spots are painted green, they are signed as EV charging, but not EV charging only. I was done shopping and in the car for a few minutes letting a few my WHs trickle in. A guy in a Jeep, maybe early thirties pulled into the other spot. I shook my head to myself not even intending for him to see it but he did. Instantly the F bombs started, "you got an F'in problem?". I rolled down the window and as calmly as I could said, "when you block that spot it means someone who needs to charge their car can't". Well, that really set him off. "I don't care, pretentious Tesla, F you, on and on." I had to deescalate. I put my hands up as if in surrender and wished him a nice day. Another round of verbal assault and I repeated the same gesture and words and he was off into the store. I disconnected and drove off.

I feel bad how it went and regret even the head shake but was astounded at how quickly it escalated. My streak of confronting ICEing in any way will end at one.

While that's the more honorable view, the guy was in the wrong. He knew what he was doing from the start, and just my guess - he was looking for your reaction. Otherwise it wouldn't have been quite so easy to discern. I'm sure he feels justified by whatever story he tells himself, but you don't need to feel badly due to his reaction.

Why would a grocery store install HPWCs? I can sort of understand J1772s, as some Leafs, etc. need a charge to make it through the day, but why would they think a car with >200 miles of range would want or need to charge during a trip to the grocery store? Is it some unusual "destination" grocery store that attracts customers from all over the state?

Fred Meyer stores along the Oregon coast have spaces for ChaDeMo and J-1772 charging - properly signed, even with municipal No Parking signs (except charging EVs). And their managers do an excellent job of first paging ICErs, and then calling local tow companies. As far as they're concerned, it's simple - park an ICE in a spot marked No Parking... Get towed. Parents with small kids appreciate the proximity to the front of the store and being able to get some juice while running errands. They tend to use the L2s, which leaves the fast charging for traveling Teslas. Easy peasy.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised the half-dozen or so times I stopped to charge while schlepping up and down the coast for an extra week. Much easier than having to always head back to the SCs along the 5 inland.

Good to know. Great that they're putting charging stations at the front of the store, not the back or sides. Jeep dude in original post probably knows it's a convenient space that's usually open and probably uses it a lot, which is why he's so aggressive and defensive.

Btw, referring to jeep dude as an identifier, not a pejorative, before jeep fans jump down my back.

Why would a grocery store install HPWCs? I can sort of understand J1772s, as some Leafs, etc. need a charge to make it through the day, but why would they think a car with >200 miles of range would want or need to charge during a trip to the grocery store? Is it some unusual "destination" grocery store that attracts customers from all over the state?

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Tesla donates the HPWC and $1500 per HPWC for installation, so if they can get it for free and possibly attract more Tesla driving customers, I don't see why they wouldn't take it up.

If they install a J1772 it would presumably have to be out of their own pocket or they would need to use a pay-per-use networked charger (which lessens the appeal significantly).

Tesla donates the HPWC and $1500 per HPWC for installation, so if they can get it for free and possibly attract more Tesla driving customers, I don't see why they wouldn't take it up.

If they install a J1772 it would presumably have to be out of their own pocket or they would need to use a pay-per-use networked charger (which lessens the appeal significantly).

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Tesla doesn't donate HPWCs to grocery stores for "destination charging", as far as I know, and there is no grocery store in NJ on the destination charging map. Perhaps the store bought them. I'm not objecting to the store having them whether bought or donated, I just think it's weird. Teslas don't need to charge while grocery shopping, as a general rule, and I doubt the ability to add a few miles with level 2 charging would attract Tesla owners to choose a particular grocery store.

Tesla doesn't donate HPWCs to grocery stores for "destination charging", as far as I know, and there is no grocery store in NJ on the destination charging map. Perhaps the store bought them. I'm not objecting to the store having them whether bought or donated, I just think it's weird. Teslas don't need to charge while grocery shopping, as a general rule, and I doubt the ability to add a few miles with level 2 charging would attract Tesla owners to choose a particular grocery store.

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Yeah, I didn't bother to look at the map given there was no address mentioned. I just assumed it was part of the network. I am not sure if Tesla is that strict on the policy.

It's at a Shoprite, a medium size grocery chain in the Northeast. It's a fairly affluent area of NJ and my assumption is that they just wanted to attract customers. It worked on me. I was going to be in the area for a few days so I looked on Plugshare. When I saw this location a few miles from where I was staying and i needed a few things that's where I went. They got about $40, I got 11 miles of range. I didn't need the range but I wanted to support the effort on their part.

In Illinois, you simply ask the store manager to call the police and ask them to enforce Illinois Vehicle Code: 625 ILCS 5/11-1308

(b) It shall be prohibited to park a non-electric vehicle
in an electric vehicle charging station designated for use by
electric vehicles, including an electric vehicle charging
station on any private or public offstreet parking facility. A
person may park only an electric vehicle in an electric vehicle
charging station space designated for use by electric vehicles.
[...](e) Any person found guilty of violating the provisions of
subsection (b) shall be fined $75 in addition to any costs or
charges connected with the removal or storage of the
non-electric vehicle; but municipalities by ordinance may
impose a fine up to $100.

Illinois also gets rid of that stupid argument that it "wasn't signed for EV parking *only*"...

(d) It shall not be a defense to a charge under this
Section that the sign or notice posted at the electric vehicle
charging station or the designated parking space does not
comply with applicable rules, regulations, or local
ordinances, if a reasonable person would be made aware by the
sign or notice on or near the parking space that the space is
reserved for electric vehicles.

Any member of the public can ask the police to enforce that provision, but to have it towed requires you to be the owner/operator of the lot. Still, a $75 state ticket on your record is always a great lesson for someone like that.

Meta

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